Approximately 2,278 freshmen and 738 transfers arrive on campus Thursday, August 28, to begin their first semester as Binghamton University students. They will be joined by upperclassmen who begin arriving Friday, August 29. The first day of classes is Tuesday, September 2.

This year, the University again received a record number of applications. Freshmen applications were up 4 percent over last year, to 19,069 from 18,315. Transfer applications received totaled 2,268. In addition, graduate applications were up 5.8 percent to 3,456 for degree programs, the highest number ever. Binghamton’s total applicant pool, including transfer and graduate students, was approximately 24,793.

BU continues to be highly selective, accepting only 44 percent of its freshmen, up from 42 percent last year. National figures indicate that 90 percent of U.S. colleges admit more than 90 percent of their new student applicants. BU is one of the few schools in the country admitting less than 50 percent of its applicants for freshman admission.

Binghamton’s Class of 2007 also continues to rank well above the national average in SAT scores. Of those who have indicated that they will be coming to BU, combined SAT scores range from 1230 or higher, which is about 200 points about the national average.

Binghamton University currently carries the highest rating among the SUNY university centers in the “most selective” designation. More than 70 percent of the freshmen class meets the designation, which is based on SAT scores and high school averages as defined by the SUNY System.

The mean high school average for the entering freshmen class also remains high and is consistent with last year’s figure of 92.

The majority of Binghamton students continue to come from New York state. About 88 percent of freshmen and transfers are in-state residents. Of the total number of incoming students, 24 percent are from New York City, 22 percent from Long Island and the remainder from upstate areas. Of all new students, both freshmen and transfers combined, 10 percent are from Broome/Tioga communities. The 12 percent out-of-state students represent 20 states.

As in past years, the class mirrors the state’s diversity. Thirty-two percent of the entering class represents minority groups. Of that number, nearly 19 percent are of Asian background, followed by Hispanic/Latino at 7 percent, African American at 5 percent and Native American at .1 percent.

Over 300 new international students will attend BU this year. Of those, approximately 65 percent are graduate students and 35 percent undergraduates. The most popular countries represented are India, China, the Republic of Korea, Taiwan and Turkey. The incoming international students represent 45 countries, including Yemen, Tajikistan, Cote d’Ivoire and Barbados.

Growth at the graduate level is steady with both domestic and international applications showing gains. Domestic applications are up by 7 percent while international applications are up by 4.8 percent. Much of the increase in applications and anticipated enrollments can be attributed to new programs, such as the master’s of social work (MSW) program, which is accepting its first class this year. In addition, master’s and doctoral programs in the Watson School of Engineering and Applied Science continue to drive interest in mechanical engineering and related fields, while programs in art history, English, political science, clinical psychology, public administration and nursing show notable increases.